Corn-harvester.



No. 675,835. Patented Juno 4, M". W. W. MARTIN &. F. B. MORGAN.

CO RN HARVESTEB.

(Applicutiou filed. Dec. 31, 1900.)

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n4: mama PETERS co. NOIO-LIYNO Patented lune 4. l90l. W. W. MARTIN 6. F.B. MORGAN.

CORN HABVESTER.

(App! at n filed. M 31 1900) (lo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER V. MARTIN AND FRANK l3. MORGAN, OF STAMFORD, NEBRASKA.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 675,835, dated June 4,1901.

Application filed December 31, 1900. Serial No. 41,711. (No model.)

To all 1071mm it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WALTER W. MARTIN and FRANK B. MORGAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Stamford, in the county of Harlan andState of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Corn-Harvester, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention is an improved corn -harvester; and it consists in thepeculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully setforth and claimed.

The object of our invention is to provide a cheap and simplecorn-harvesting machine which is efficient in cutting standing corn andin gathering the stalks together and collecting them in bundles as themachine progresses, which bundles may be readily bound manually in theusual manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of acorn-harvesting machine constructed in accordance with our invention.Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thesame.

In the embodiment of our invention We provide a slide 1, which is ofsuitable length and breadth and is of suitable construction and isprovided at its front end with draftchains 2 or other suitable devices,by means of which a singletree may be attached to the slide and the samedrawn by a horse. At the rear end of the slide 1, on the upper sidethereof, is a cross-bar 3, one end of which projects laterally beyondthe inner side of the slide, as at 4. A longitudinally-extending bar 5has its rear end bolted under the projecting end of the cross-bar 3,said longitudinally-extending bar 5 being obliquely disposed withrelation to the slide 1, the space between the front end of said slideand the front end of said bar being wider than the space between therear ends of the slide and bar. A brace-bar (5, which is disposed at anangle of about forty-five degrees to'the slide, connects the bar5to thecross-bar3,said bracebar being bolted on said bar 5 and said bar 3. Tothe under side of the said brace-bar 6 is secured a cutter-bar 7, thefront cutting edge of which projects in advance of said bar 6, and saidcutter-bar is disposed over the space between the slide and the bar 5.The front corners of the slide are rounded, as at 8, and the front endof the bar 5 is rounded on its inner side, as at 9. In operation theslide is drawn parallel with a row of standing corn and is so directedthat the slide and bar 5 pass on opposite sides of the cornstalks, andthereby the standing stalks are cut successively by the cutter-bar 7.The same is obliquelydisposed with relation to the slide and the line ofdraft, as shown. We will now describe improved means by which the cutcorn is caused to fall onto the platform formed by the slide 1 and to becollected thereon in bundles as the machine advances.

On the slide 1 and extending from the front end thereof to within aslight distance of the cutter-bar 7 is a fender 10, which in the form ofour invention here shown comprises a batten 11 on the slide and which isdisposed obliquely thereon, standards 12 on the outer side of thebatten, and a rail 13, the latter being curved, as shown, having itsintermediate portion secured on the upper ends of the standards 12 andits ends bolted on the slide. To the inner side of the bar 5, near thefront end thereof, is bolted or otherwise secured the front end of adeflecting-arm 14, which is curved over the space between the bar 5 andthe proximate side of the slide and extends partially over the slide andover the rear portion of the fender 10. The function of thisdeflecting-arm 14 is to bend the corn forward and dispose the sameobliquely over the slide prior to being cut, and the said deflecting-arm5 and said fender coact, owing to the forward motion of the machine, todispose the cornstalks diagonally forward over the slide, so that as thestalks are out they fall upon the slide and are retained thereon by thefender 10. A vertical standard 15 rises from a bar 16 on the slide, thesaid standard being disposed at the outer side of the slide. Said bar16, standard 15, and fender 10 form a cradle on the slide to receive thecorn as the same is cut and collect the same into bundles, which areremoved therefrom and bound manually in the usual manner.

To facilitate the operation of the machine in cutting corn andcollecting the same in bundles, we provide a spring-arm 17, which issecured to the inner side of the bar 5 and extends obliquely over thecutter-bar 7, the rear end of said spring-arm being free. Thisspring-arm bears against the cornstalks in process of cutting at thebutts thereof and yields to the resistance offered by the cornstalksjust prior to their being cut; but as the stalks are cut the reaction ofthe springarm 17 imparts an impulse to the cut stalks which are in theact of falling onto the slide and assists in the disposition of thestalks in the appropriate position on the cradle which collects thebundles.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a corn-harvester, aslide having a cradle to receive the cut cornstalks, a knife to cut thestalks, means to incline the stalks toward the cradle, prior to beingcut, and a spring arm disposed over the knife, said spring-arm engagingthe butts of the standing stalks in advance of the knife, yielding tothe resistance of the standing stalks, and reacting after the stalks arecut, to impart an impulse thereto in the direction of the cradle,substantially as described.

2. In a corn-harvesterof the class described the combination with aslide, a gatheringarm on one side thereof, a cutter-bar between saidslide and gathering-arm, a fender on the inner side of the slide and adeflecting-arm extending in ward and rearward from said gathering-armover the rear portion of said fender, of a springarm disposed in advanceof the cutter-bar and over the same for the purpose set forth,substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER \V. MARTIN. FRANK l3. MORGAN.

\V itnesses:

R. N. CLARK, EDVARD M. HARVEY.

